Laughing Gull Foundation Announces $2.1 million in Grants to Organizations Advancing Higher Education in Prisons Programs
Durham, NC – The Laughing Gull Foundation (LGF) is pleased to announce the approval of $2,060,000 in grants awarded in 2024 to 36 organizations advancing higher education opportunities for incarcerated people in the US South. LGF’s Higher Education in Prisons grantmaking seeks to reverse the trend of mass incarceration and to affirm the humanity, capacity, and potential of currently incarcerated people.
“We are committed to expanding access to high-quality education in prisons and strengthening support for BIPOC-led initiatives. Our grantees are dedicated to breaking down barriers and ensuring equitable access to transformative educational opportunities within prison walls. Together, we’re building a future where incarcerated people can improve their lives, open new doors and pathways post-release, and remain free and thriving.”
– Dr. LaTonya Penny, LGF Chief Executive
Through its grantmaking, Laughing Gull Foundation is dedicated to improving access to accredited college courses for incarcerated students and addressing systemic inequities, with a particular focus on BIPOC communities disproportionately affected by incarceration. These grant awards reflect a strategic focus on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and BIPOC-led organizations and programs that emphasize holistic approaches that include practical skills such as expungement assistance and career planning. Through this grantmaking, we are also fostering strong collaborations between educational institutions and expanding access across a broader geographic area, bringing additional Southern states into our portfolio..
LGF’s 2024 Higher Education in Prisons Fund grants were made to the following organizations:
Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project – Auburn, AL
Alliance for Higher Education in Prison – National
Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College – Asheville, NC
*B.E.S.T. Lives Center at Benedict College – Columbia, SC
Claflin University Pathways from Prison Program – Orangeburg, SC
Columbia Center for Justice National Executive Council – New York, NY
Common Good Atlanta – Atlanta, GA
The Education Trust – Washington, DC
*Florida Coalition for Higher Education in Prison – Orlando, FL
Formerly Incarcerated College Graduates Network – National
GA Coalition of Higher Education in Prison – Atlanta, GA
Jamii Sisterhood – National
*Loyola at Rayburn – New Orleans, LA
Miami-Dade College – Institution for Educational Empowerment – Miami, FL
*Mississippi Consortium for Higher Education in Prison – Jackson, MS
*Mississippi Valley State University – Itta Beta, MS
NC Prison Education Collaborative – Asheville, NC
Offender Alumni Association – Birmingham, AL
Operation Restoration – New Orleans, LA
Piedmont VA Community College HEP Program – Charlottesville, VA
Resilience Education – Richmond, VA
*Simmons College – Louisville, KY
*South Carolina Coalition for Higher Education in Prison – Columbia, SC
Southern Higher Education in Prison Collective – Southern Regional
Stetson University Community Education Project – Deland, FL
Tennessee Higher Education Initiative – Nashville, TN
Tennessee Prison College Coalition – Nashville, TN
The Chillon Project at Life University – Marietta, GA
UCF Florida Prison Education Project – Orlando, FL
*University of Louisville – Louisville, KY
University of North Alabama-Limestone Prison Programming Initiative – Florence, AL
*University of West Georgia – Carrolton, GA
UNC Asheville Prison Education Program – Asheville, NC
VA Foundation for Community College Education – Richmond, VA
Vera Institute of Justice – National
Warren Wilson College Inside Out Program – Asheville, NC
Additional grant to assist Southern HEP grantees to attend NCHEP in Spring 2025.
* denotes new grantees
For more information on LGF’s Higher Education in Prisons Program strategies, approaches, priorities, and impact, please click below.
